Lawyers

We Love Working With Kids

A primary school in Norman has instituted a “Mystery Reader” program where individuals can volunteer to read to their children’s classes on Fridays. Weston just happened to be first up, and of course, chose the great Horton Hatches the Egg, one of the finest works of fiction ever written!

Is Your Vehicle On The List?

With the influx of automotive recalls that have been announced over the past few months, let alone the past year, it’s hard to keep track and a recall involving your vehicle could have been easily overlooked. We thought it would be beneficial to share an updated list from the NHTSA regarding current vehicle safety recalls.

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence

Sandra Day O’Connor once said, “Each of brings to our job, whatever it is, our lifetime of experience and values.” One of the values held most dear by Miller & Johnson attorney Jami Rhoades Antonisse is the power of education. This year, Jami had the privilege of serving as Chairperson for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence’s annual Academic All-State Banquet. She is pictured here with the founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, David Boren, its executive director, Emily Stratton, its president, Les Risser, and the speaker at this year’s Banquet, Harvard University professor Robert Putnam.

The theme of this year’s Banquet -- “Learn, Serve, Connect!” – was inspired by Dr. Putnam’s research into the collapse and revival of American community, and the need for civic engagement. In keeping with the theme, Jami’s committee included nine Academic All-State alumni and two alumni parents. Miller & Johnson’s office administrator, Becky Miller, also volunteered on the committee.

Do Graduates Need Estate Planning?

Happy Graduation!!! …Now what? Congratulations to all the newly-minted ADULTS out there! Whether you are entering the job market or going away to college, your future awaits. As Dr. Seuss says, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes….” But do you have an estate plan?

When you turn 18, you are legally an adult and, as an adult, you have legal responsibilities. Even though you just got out of school, here is a little more food for thought: Be smart about social media. Most employers and many colleges WILL google you. Clean up your outdated and inappropriate content, and evaluate your account settings. Also, think about designating someone to take control of your accounts in the event you are incapacitated or… worse. According to Oklahoma law, “the executor or administrator of an estate shall have the power, where otherwise authorized, to take control of, conduct, continue, or terminate any accounts of a deceased person on any social networking website, any microblogging or short message service website, or any e-mail service websites.”

Research and understand how student loans may affect you. You do not want to be a defendant in a lawsuit for indebtedness when you grow up! Government loans are generally kinder and gentler than private loans – the interest rates are fixed, the rate of repayment is based on your income, and they are discharged upon your death. Private loans do not offer the same flexibility or protections that government loans do. Caveat emptor! And note, the same warning applies to credit card offers!

Privacy laws prohibit financial institutions from disclosing account information and other private matters without your authorization. But what if you need help? A Power of Attorney allows you to authorize your parent (or other trusted adult) to manage your finances now and/or in the future, if necessary. When you no longer need a safety net, the POA can be revoked.

Be prepared for medical emergencies. Face it: young adults are rather prone to car accidents, alcohol-related illness and injury, diseases like meningitis and mononucleosis, and mental health issues. So, be prepared! Privacy laws prohibit medical providers from disclosing information about your health without your authorization. This may be true even if you are still on your parents’ insurance policy.

A Medical Power of Attorney allows you to designate your parent (or other trusted adult) to make medical decisions for you if you are incapacitated and unable to do so for yourself. You can also state what kind of medical care you do or do not want in an Advance Directive (or Living Will).

The Medical POA gives your designee access to your medical records if you are incapacitated. If your capacity is in question, privacy laws will prevent disclosure. A HIPPA release allows you to authorize doctors to share diagnoses and treatment options with your parent (or other trusted adult), even in less serious situations.If you would like advice about any of these estate planning concepts or the paperwork involved, we are here to help you at Miller & Johnson, PLLC.

A Warning About Propane Refrigerants

Miller and Johnson is involved in litigation right now that has exposed the dangers of utilizing readily available propane refrigerants as an alternative to traditional Freon products in residential air conditioners. Propane products are in fact much cheaper and actually possess more efficient cooling properties along with being better for the environment. However, they are nonetheless hydrocarbon based, flammable explosives. They are not approved by the EPA for use in most applications. For more information in an easily readable format, go to:

If you have any questions or concerns that a propane based refrigerant has been used at your house, consult a professional HVAC contractor. If you know a propane based refrigerant has been injected into your cooling system, please make sure to carefully advise anyone working on the system of this fact!

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Oklahoma City's Law Firm

Brad Miller, Jami Rhoades Antonisse, Weston White and Logan Johnson have formed the law firm of Miller & Johnson. Miller & Johnson is a civil litigation and trial practice. Have questions? Call us at 405-896-4388.